1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for continuously manufacturing an improved laminate sheet article, the resulting product, and improvements in the process for manufacturing the same, and particularly to laminate sheet articles comprising a three layer structure, having two outer layer cleaning means that are useful for simultaneously cleaning both interior surfaces of slots and cavities, and the sensing, scanning and printing devices residing therein, commonly found in slot card readers, fax machines, toll ticket machines, lottery machines and cavity type card readers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Magnetic and optic scanners are commonly used in slot card readers, toll ticket machines, lottery machines, fax machines and the like. Their narrow openings, used for accessing these devices with credit cards or sheet like documents, make routine cleanings a difficult task.
In use they accumulate dirt, debris, organic films, and resinous matter that requires frequent removal to prevent malfunctions. For routine cleanings, stiff sheet like articles of paper or paperboard are commonly used. Some are treated with resinous materials to impart stiffness and reduce the shedding of cellulosic fibers. They are occasionally saturated with cleaning solutions to provide an improved cleaning capability.
A sheet like article, as revealed in Johnson (874 010) 1907, comprised of a course cotton cloth adhesively laminated to a moderately stiff paper support layer is limited to one sided cleaning applications. Additionally, the cotton cloth sheds fibrous debris and the laminating adhesive is a source of contamination.
Another sheet like article as revealed in Haq et al. (4 603 069) 1986, is impractical due to its substantial flexibility which would cause it to wrinkle and jam in the slots of the readers, thereby rendering it ineffective.
The aforesaid sheet like cleaning articles, while able to access the readers and scanners, often fail because of their tendency to shed fibrous debris during the cleaning process, thereby defeating their purpose. Furthermore, the sheet like board and paper articles, because of their substantially hard and smooth surfaces lack the ability to trap and remove debris.
Cotton tipped swabs are also used, but they are often too thick to fit into the slots, and they also have the problem of shedding and leaving fibrous residues.